Last Guardian
by Kumitzin
Summary: What would happen if instead of Tidus, another blond swordsman was sent to Spira to help Yuna in her Pilgrimage?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Neither Product of teh Final Fantasy Fanchise is mine, if they where FFVII would have a remake on PS3, and FFX-2 as well as FFXIII (1,2 & 3) would not have existed, and the Francise woulnd't be as idiotic as it is turning out to be.

I'm making no money from this, only for amusement, honing my skills and wishing to be rid of my writers block.

Cloud is a little OOC, but It's for a good reason.

* * *

—Prologue—

Cloud got off his bike, opening the compartment where the First Tsurugi was hidden. Looking up to the crumbling buildings of the lost capital, he shrugged and took the rest of his swords with him: Ascalon and Sidewinder by the small of his back, Merciless and Avenger were furthest from his shoulders; Vendetta went parallel to his spine, and finally Vigilante atop them all.

As an added precaution, he placed an All, Bolt and Cure materias on his left bracelet, and His favorite summon, Knights of the Round on his right. He knew that he was probably over-reacting, but Vincent's words had put him on edge when he had called a few days ago to the _Seventh Heaven_, saying something about the lost city and some strange sightings.

Now that wasn't at all strange, after all, this was the Lost Capital of the Cetra they were talking about. But his next words had sent a chill of fear down his spine: '_I saw a ghost_' Vincent had said '_I'm positive it was Sephiroth_'.

Therefore he wasn't taking any chances, not where _He_ was involved. Even if it was merely the shadow of his mentor -his bloody Idol- he had to kill him again, and hope that this time it would be the last time… just like the last time.

'_If not…_' His mind filled with images of Kadaj and Geostigma, and of all the pain they had caused to the world.

Cloud shook his head to clear it of such somber thoughts. He then took a deep breath and began walking. He hadn't placed a foot anywhere near the Lost Capital since coming to retrieve Denzel and Marlene from Kadaj and his troupe.

If he could have helped it, he wouldn't have come ever again… This place reminded him too much of his worst failure: When Aeris was killed by Sephiroth while she was praying to the planet for help against Meteor.

Damn that man.

He looked up and found himself just under the shadow of the main building, everything as quiet as it ever was.

That was when he saw it.

_The_ ghost.

The image of his most hated enemy walking with purpose behind the building directly to his right. It wasn't clear, however, as if it had been obscured by a smoke screen or a wall of murky water. Instantly he found himself running in that direction, Vigilante on his hand, his eyes alight with fury.

He carelessly ran into the shadows behind the building, only to find the ghost gone and a sphere of light floating where he had last seen it. With extreme caution, Cloud extended his free hand to the white light, expecting everything but what happened:

He disappeared.


	2. Chapter 1

—Chapter 1—

Wakka couldn't believe his eyes.

He had been practicing his Blitzball moves along the rest of the aurochs down at Besaid Beach, when a bright light exploded from the heavens with a sound like thunder; when the light finally dissipated and his senses returned, he saw a man in strange black clothes standing in a crater of glass and sand. His hair was blond and spiky that defied gravity. On his hand was the largest sword the blitzball-player had ever seen before '_it must weight a ton_', and yet the blond man moved it with an ease he found to be awe inspiring.

The blond swordsman looked about, with eyes as wide as saucers, totally confused; until his eyes fell on him and Wakka couldn't help gulping.

"Where am I?" his voice was uncommonly soft for what one would expect from a man carrying such a big sword.

With most of the Aurochs gaping like fish out of water, Wakka knew he wasn't receiving any help from them. "Besaid ya" he grimaced, disliking how high pitched he sounded; he cleared his throat and begun again "You're on the island of Besaid, ya"

"Besaid, you say?" The blond man blinked owlishly, looking about once again "Are we near Wutai?"

Wakka shook his head, not understanding either "I've never heard that name before, ya. The closest place to the island is Kilika, and it about two days away on boat. Who are you, ya?"

The blond man cursed, still looking about "Cloud."

"I'm Wakka" He looked about and found his men equally confused… still no help from them "Where you attacked by Sin?"

The man named Cloud raised an eyebrow "Sin? What is that?"

Wakka face-palmed. "I know what this is, ya. I bet you were attacked and Sin's toxins got to your head. I hear they get you all confused and make you see things, ya?" He thought back on the sound and the light… perhaps he too had been touched by Sin's toxins.

The swordsman went silent then and closed his eyes, probably trying to gather his thoughts and memories, when his frown deepened; Wakka knew he had hit the spot. "Don't worry, ya? Come on, I'll get you to the village so that you can rest?"

Cloud blinked, looked up to him and shrugged, choosing to follow the red-haired man.

—

What in Gaia's name was happening? One instant he had been in the lost Capital chasing down Sephiroth's ghost, and the next he was in some unknown place with people staring at him as if he had fallen from the sky… Well, from what the red-haired man —Wakka, he reminded himself— had said, he knew he had _probably_ done just that… but still…

He sighed.

This time he was way out of dept.

Still he pushed forward, following Wakka into unknown territory. If he hadn't heard Aeris' voice murmuring inside his head to thrust this man, he would have surely turned around and be on his way… whatever that was now.

But why had she chosen to speak to him now? A year had passed already since he had been rid of the Geostigma and in that time he hadn't hear even a whisper from either her or Zack. But now, when he had been thrown into a completely unknown situation, now she appeared again?

He frowned. What was she playing at now? Why had he been spirited away in this form? Was his strength needed again? Was Sephiroth on the loose again?

So many questions and yet no answers.

He did the mental equivalent to a shrug and soldiered on; if where he stood had no answers for him, then he would simply have to search for them elsewhere. The main problem was, he knew nothing about where he was or what laid beyond the sea, so he would have to recruit someone to help him in that regard, someone who knew their way around the world.

He eyed Wakka for an instant, the man was aloof, perhaps even a bit slow, but he did know the surroundings… but would he know the way beyond? He didn't think so. His wasn't the look of a man well traveled, but then again looks could be deceiving, couldn't they?

Better ask than remain ignorant "Wakka?"

"Huh?" they had been approaching a statue of sorts at the top of a hill, but the red-haired man stopped and turned his head his way. "You remember something?"

Cloud shook his head "No. I wanted to ask if you knew your way off this island, or the way beyond it."

Wakka frowned "I've only ever been to Luca and Kilika, and the latter only in passing, because we were headed to the Blitzball tournament held in Luca, and we were kinda late to boot, ya?"

The blond man nodded in understanding "Has anyone here traveled further than that?"

"Well, Lulu went to the Calm Lands once, but that was ages ago. Perhaps Khimari could help, I know he's been to Bevelle and Mount Gagazet among other places, when he brought Yuna to live here."

"Yuna?" Cloud asked "Who is that?"

"She's our summoner, ya? Like her father was before her."

"What's a summoner?"

Wakka face-palmed yet again "Sin toxin got you baaad, ya." He sighed and resumed walking while he explained "Summoners are who call forth the spirits of the guardians of Yevon, and materialize them in this world. They are our only hope against Sin."

The swordsman frowned "Had there been other summoners before Yuna and her father?"

"Many, why?"

"With that many summoners, how come you haven't defeated Sin?"

Wakka shrugged "Because we haven't atoned for the mistakes of the past. You see, before Sin, there was a Big Machina War that nearly destroyed the world, seeing this, Yevon had to act, he had to punish mankind for our sins and faults. That was why Sin was created. It destroyed the Great Machinas, and brought their proud civilization down to ruins where nobody can live."

Cloud grimaced. The story reminded him eerily of his own fight against Sephiroth and the Planet's Weapons. Perhaps that was why he had been transported to this place…. To help this people solve what they couldn't do on their own… after all, hadn't he and his friends slayed the Emerald, Diamond, Ruby and Ultima weapons? Hadn't they defeated Sephiroth time and time again? Speaking of which, this Sin Wakka spoke about sounded to him a little like his own nemesis. He looked up from his reverie and found the blitzball player praying in front of the big statue atop the hill; therefore he had to wait until the man finished before asking his question: "What can you tell me about Sin?"

By the time they reached the village, Cloud knew that Sin wasn't unlike one of the Planet's Weapons, and more importantly that what the locals were doing to fight it was wrong, because It always came back. And, almost as a side note, Wakka added that none of the Summoners ever came back from fighting it.

This angered him. They were sacrificing the lives of the summoners to give themselves a few years of peace.

It was disgusting.

That was precisely when an idea struck him… '_what if I was brought to end this cycle of death? I have a different perspective from people here… and unlike them, I've defeated foes like these before… the only thing I need now is a team as strong as my own. Something like AVALANCHE, with CID, Vincent and Nanaki to add to it. If I could get in contact with some such individuals, we could get rid of the Pest that is Sin once and for all._'

Nodding to himself with grim determination, he took his first step into the village of Besaid… and into a whole new adventure.

Ignorant of the blond man's inner banter, Wakka glanced around and raised his hands to his sides "Welcome, to Besaid Village, ya!" he smiled, something that made Cloud grin.

'_Really, making such a big fuss over something so little_' he shrugged; and it was true, because the Village wasn't even 20 paces long. Well, perhaps it was, if you took the Temple at the very back of the village in account.

"The boat to the mainland arrives tomorrow, ya? So why don't you spend the night with Lulu and I, we've got a spare bed, ya?"

"Wouldn't I be intruding?"

Wakka blushed a tiny bit before waving a hand on front of his face "Nah! We're not like that, ya?"

The swordsman nodded "If you insist then, sure. Thanks." He looked around, inspecting the few tents around themselves, only to find that which had been putting him on edge: The place was calm and peaceful, and bright; and Cloud had never felt such an atmosphere ever. If given the chance, he could have spent the rest of his life in that place, totally apart from civilization, forgotten to everybody but his friends and family…

He sighed.

Only once had he envisioned such a future… only with Aeris.

And she had been taken from him… because he failed to protect her.

"You alright?"

Cloud blinked away the bad memories to stare at the red-head concerned face; he grimaced "Yeah, just… some painful memories."

"Well, my momma always said that the best place to forget your worries is at the temple, so why don't we go there…. Besides, there's something I need to do before we turn in."

"Alright"

Thus they walked to the other side of the village and into the temple, where Wakka disappeared into the back room while Cloud inspected the statues of the many summoners that had sacrificed their lives to bring peace, always hoping that it would be the Eternal Calm.

His smile turned feral at the proud faces engraved in rock, now he was even more determined to help bring these people the peace they so longed for… for which they had sacrificed so many. It was then that he decided he would talk to Wakka about it, about his decision and see if he would help him find other, equally talented people to defeat the monster that was Sin. He looked about and found the almost hidden door that led to the 'cloister' his friend has talked about before, and before anyone got the wiser, he lifted the door and stepped inside.

He was greeted by the sight of a materia on a pedestal. Only it wasn't materia… or it didn't appear to be, although it had the same properties. He took the ball from the pedestal and watched as a door opened to his right "so that's what it does" he murmured, but continued examining the small crystal ball, he even tried casting a spell with it, but to no avail, it was as if the materia here hadn't the strength to make magic.

As if it was unfocused, diluted.

Shrugging, for he was no expert in the mater, he decided to take the ball with him into the other room, where he found two more pillars, and later, one that was hidden behind a false wall with a purple materia. He examined this one too, feeling its energy pulse even with his gloves on. He again tried to cast a spell but, instead of it impacting against the wall before him, it exploded a wall behind him with enough force to send him to his knees.

"Damn." He grimaced, watching the gaping hole in the brick wall "I must remember to never do that again. Unless I find a way to direct its power properly." He eyed the ball warily, and keeping it as far away from his body as he could, he placed it in the only remaining pedestal… which made another section of a wall explode, clearing a path forward.

With his ears still ringing, he stepped into the next room and found in it an elevator that took him to a lower floor; there, on the other side of a curtain was Wakka, pacing worriedly.

He smiled at the cleverness of whoever had made the previous chamber, because it didn't only test your intelligence and determination, it was sound-proof too.

The next chamber was bigger that what he had envisioned at first, and there was also someone else inside, for whom he had to make a double take, since he was like Red XIII only it stood on two legs, and was as tall and broad as Barret. The creature stared at him warily, his intelligent eyes dissecting him. Cloud nodded to him with a half smile on his face, and saw his eyes widen a tiny fraction and then look away, as if it had never expected to get such a treatment from an unknown person. Apparently these creatures, not unlike Nanaki, were also treated like animals by the rest of the population.

Turning his back to the blue creature whose name he didn't know yet, he turned to notice Wakka pacing in front of a staircase.

"She's late! What's taking her so long? It has been almost a day since she went in…"

Cloud looked past him to the heavy metal door atop the stairs, and then back to Wakka "Why not go after her if you're so concerned?"

The red-head jumped in surprise and stared at him "Wha-? How-? When-?"

Cloud chuckled "I got here a moment ago" his pointed to the chamber behind him with his thumb "interesting place, that one. The materia is unstable though, I wouldn't use it if I was you."

"Huh?" Wakka blinked owlishly, and had opened his mouth to say something else, but he was rudely interrupted when the metal door behind him opened and a girl stepped away from it.

"I-I did it" she panted, "I became a Summoner!" and she fainted.

And fell into Cloud's arms.

He looked at her, wondering how and why he was where he was now… as if his body had moved on its own accord. Beside him, the blue creature was staring at him, pondering just how had a man moved faster than him; behind them all was Wakka, wondering what had given this man the nerve to step into the Cloister, the most sacred part of the temple.

The girl in his arms was petit and fragile looking, dressed in some formal attire and even with her face covered in sweat and the signs of exhaustion hanging around her, Cloud thought that she was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She wasn't plump like Tifa, but there was _something_ about her that made his hear jump in his chest.

His thought were interrupted, however, when the blue creature spoke "Give Yuna. Khimari Protect." It's arms where outstretched and his muscles tense, as if it wanted to do nothing more than cut his head off for touching the girl.

Cloud looked into his blue orbs and gave him a polite smile, handing her over to the larger man, but before his hands abandoned her body, and still looking into the creature's eyes, he said: "She's lucky to have one with such devotion."

Again, the blue creature – Khimari – seemed surprised by Cloud's lack of fear towards him.

They stood together and then moved back to the elevator, where Cloud had to endure Wakka's continuing disapproving comments.


	3. Chapter 2

– Chapter 2 –

The whole village was up and about, chatting in small groups around the great bonfire they had started just a moment ago, but the great bulk of it –perhaps a dozen or more– gathered around Yuna, asking questions and generally stating their congratulations and thanks for becoming a summoner.

And she always answered with kind words and a warm, heartfelt smile.

Each time she spoke, he had had to dig his nails in his leg to stop himself from pondering just how those lips would feel on his.

He very nearly growled.

Why was he responding so strongly to this girl?

He had had his share of women in the past; he had been with Aeris and, after her death, with Tifa, a woman named Mary from Edge and Erika in Junon… he even had a one night stand with Yuffie, but never in all his time had he felt as he did for this girl. Never had he wanted so bad to be touched or to share himself with anyone ever before.

Again Cloud looked up to where he knew she would be, just in time to see her dancing, and while she did magic circles formed around her and around her staff; she twirled and took a turn in one foot and then stabbed her staff towards the heavens, where a seal formed; there was a thunder in the sky and from the clouds above a pale figure appeared, flying directly towards the ground at a great speed; when it was dangerously close to land, it opened a pair of fleshy wings and halted in mid air, flapping graciously until it landed softly at Yuna's side.

A summon… Cloud looked about with his senses full on alert, but there was neither fiend on sight, nor anything that pose a threat… so why did this girl called on this summon? He looked down to the red materia ball on his bracelet and only then did he notice the pale glow it was emitting, it was almost like it _wanted_ to be summoned.

The swordsman frowned, he had never seen materia do this, not even around Aeris whose summons responded to her very whim.

"Excuse me" a soft voice directed at him made him look up, and find the very same girl that had him in such mood standing right in front of him

Yuna bit her lower lip and felt her some color rise to her cheeks when the man Khimari had talked about looked up to her. His eyes were like the endless ocean of blue and green, always in motion, and with such depth that she would have been able to lose herself in them and never come back. Wakka had said that the man was 'ok', but now that she could finally walk out of the crowd and approach him, she noticed how little he knew.

The man was gorgeous. His skin was pale but not sickly… and it would have been easy to mistake his face from the ancient pictures she had seen on the temples of Bevelle depicting angels. Even his hair, gold, spiky and defying gravity that would look unkempt in anyone else, in him fitted like a glove.

"Emm" she hesitated when millions of butterfly wings formed in her belly at his unrelenting gaze; she had to look down, and her eyes met the same strange glowing ball that had caught her eye earlier; "I- ummm" if only it was as easy to say what she meant with his eyes searching for hers.

What was she doing here again?

Ah, right. She took a deep breath and offered him a small bow "Thank you for catching me" she straightened, and continued speaking before she lost her nerve "Khimari told me what you-"

"You're welcome" he spoke! Oh! And his voice wasn't as grave as she had thought, but she could feel the under-current of power hiding behind his every word; it suited his 'angel image' better than anything she could have imagined. His eyes left her for a moment to look at the sky above, making her experience a pang of loss. "The creature you called on earlier, was it a summon?"

"An Aeon, yes." Her heart did a flip when his eyes returned to hers, a new force shining in their depths. "Her name is Valefor".

He arched an eyebrow "her?"

She blushed, and wasn't sure why "Yes, through my connection with Valefor I can read her moods and thoughts… as well as some other, more _intimate_, aspects of her being."

A chuckle escaped his lips, and his eyes lit with mischief "are you saying you can feel when your Aeon is _randy_?"

"_NO!_" she said… but blushed crimson red anyway, only encouraging him to laugh harder.

The sentiment was contagious, however, and very soon she too was laughing so hard her belly hurt… which worsened when the man fell from the log he had been sitting on from laughing so hard. It took them almost ten minutes to calm down to a point where they could look into each other's eyes and not be overcome with giggles again.

In the end, the man stood up, only slightly taller than her pretty head and extended his hand "I'm Cloud"

The butterflies inside her returned with a vengeance as her hand closed around his gloved one "and I Yuna. It's a pleasure to meet you, Cloud."

Something moved behind his eyes before he gave her a coy smile and brought her hand up to his face, planting his lips lightly on her knuckles, eyes never leaving hers. "No, I' sure the pleasure is mine."

When he let go of her hand, she could still feel a tingling sensation that went all the way to her feet, and she knew she was blushing harder than ever before.

He had been about to say something, but then a shadow crossed his face and he turned with inhuman speed, shoving her behind him.

He had enjoyed teasing her like that… a thing he had never done, like, _ever_; but then he had felt the hair on the back of his neck stand and he simply reacted, pulling Yuna behind him as he unsheathed Vigilante from the strap on his back and brought it down on the enemy that had tried to sneak on them.

Yet as his eyes pierced the darkness and he recognized the form in front of him, he pulled his blow just in time.

Wakka jumped from the shadows and into the light of the bonfire with a squeak. He has holding the side of his neck where the sword had almost touched him… he could still feel the chill of the blade on his skin. "Chill out, ya!" he swore, waving his hands.

With a voice as cold as his blade, Cloud answered "_Never_ sneak on me again, lest you want to find yourself a head shorter". He Turned slightly then, allowing Yuna back into the scene, but not lowering his ward, even as he sheathed his sword. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern "sorry for the scare, I thought it was a fiend." He nodded to Wakka, who kept on rubbing his neck.

Cloud was prepared for fear and panic from Yuna, even for anger, and silently cursed himself for overreacting, but what he wasn't prepared for was for her to giggle.

His head tilted to aside as he stared at her, turned to see Wakka equally confused, and turned again to stare unbelievingly at the girl.

Her mirth got the best of her, and their stares didn't help, for she could not stop laughing '_find yourself a head shorter_' he had said, and suddenly she had the mental image of a miniature Wakka trying to catch a Blitzball ball that Biggs and Wedge kept tossing around. And then she was laughing, and again she could not stop.

A smile returned to Cloud's lips and he tickled her ribs with his fingers "come on Yuna, tell us. What's so funny?"

With a strangled cry and even more giggles she fled the scene, leaving the males wondering, albeit in a much better mood.

That night, as Cloud reflected on the events of the day, from waking on Edge to find that Tifa's new item was Rude, to receiving a call from Vincent; then from his return to the Lost Capital to his laying on the spare bed on Wakka and Lulu's cot. He still couldn't make tail or ends of his situation, but he knew that worrying over it wasn't going to solve anything; instead he had to concentrate on getting things done, day to day, as he had done when chasing Sephiroth all around the Globe. All he knew back then was that he had to stop him at any cost, he wasn't even sure _how_ he would manage to defeat the most powerful man on earth, the man he has worshiped for, oh, so long. But he had to.

And right now he _had_ to defeat Sin, to prevent any more summoners from dying… to prevent any more meaningless sacrifices.

Yuna's giggling face crossed his mind, '_does she even know?_' He shook his head, of course she knew. It was common knowledge, was it not? Wakka had said so before when he had asked about Sin and Summoners. And yet that giggling girl; that for all intents and purposes would have been interested in nothing more than boys and classes were they in Edge; this girl that made his insides churn and his hands sweat, this girl was set on a path that would only end in her death.

His insides moved again, uncomfortable at the mere thought.

Cloud sighed.

He still didn't comprehend his attraction for Yuna. How could a girl he had only talked with once make his blood boil only by looking at her? How could she make him weak in the knees by smiling?

It made no sense whatsoever.

But neither did he want to fight his feelings. He could draw strength from them, he knew, just like he had done when Aeris died and he had to face Sephiroth.

His eyes opened again, sleep eluding him, when he heard the murmurs of a quarrel just outside the tent. He concentrated a bit on his hearing and every single sound around him intensified to the point where distant murmurs turned to shouting voices.

"How can you not understand it!?" a woman fumed "It doesn't matter how many beggars and shipwreck survivors you bring home, you can't make up for what happened!"

"I'm not trying to do that! I only-"

"Not trying to do that!? Then why are you so set on helping this one, if it wasn't because he looks like _him!_"

"So what if he does, Lu? Even if he didn't, the kid doesn't have a place to go! He doesn't even remember what happened to him; Hell, I don't think I'll ever understand how he came out of that light"

"Again with that-"

"If you don't believe me you can ask any of the Aurochs! They saw the same I did!"

They stood silent for a moment, and then the woman added softly "He's not Chappu."

Wakka deflated and sighed "I know. But he looks a lot like him ya?… still even if that wasn't enough to help, you've got only to see him around Yuna."

"She shouldn't fall for him, you know it, I know it… she knows it. It will not fare them well after Zanarkand."

"It might be so, ya? But she deserves it. She deserves someone who looks at her the way he does, hell, she should be living life not chasing after her death!"

There was a sob and then both voices fell silent.

Cloud attuned his hearing back to normal and thought of what he had heard.

So Wakka and whoever that woman was knew what Yuna was getting into, but were unable to talk her out of it.

Stubborn girl.

And whoever was this Chappu person? Apparently he resembled him a bit, which was why Wakka was so set on helping him. Whatever had happened between them?

After a few more turns and unanswered questions, Cloud decided to close his eyes and forget about everything. Tomorrow he'd have to start early, and he'd be damned if he tried to take on the world without a good night's rest… again.


	4. Chapter 3

– Chapter 3 –

Cloud woke up the next morning when Wakka came to rouse him. "Time for breakfast, ya?"

He nodded, still half asleep, and rubbed his face with his hands.

He _so_ needed a bath or a coffee, or both.

With a sigh he stood up and stretched until he felt a satisfying pop at his back; he moved outside, and had barely reached the door when something crashed against his front.

"Ow!" his eyes darted down at the sound of a woman in pain, and found a severe-looking woman wearing all black with a bosom almost as ample as Tifa's.

Damn.

He had to bite his cheek to prevent himself from gaping or drooling at her, while his mind ranted about him hurting women. "Sorry, I didn't see you there" he offered his hand, which she glared at. '_what's wrong with me? First I like Yuna and now her?_' He shook his head '_I need to get laid._'

Mistaking the shaking of his head for something else, the woman's hand shot from the ground to grab his "aren't you going to help me up?"

'_I know that voice_' he pulled her to her feet "You must be Lulu."

She arched an eyebrow while patting her dress to get rid of the dust… and giving the man a very interesting perspective of her chest. "And you're that boy Wakka was dancing around all day, yesterday."

"I can hardly say he was dancing. In fact he seemed much more preoccupied with that ball of his, by the beach." He offered her a curtsey "forgive my manners; my name is Cloud." '_Where is all this _suave_ coming from, anyway?_' for all answer, the swordsman swore he heard the faint sound of Aeris giggling in his head.

His reward was a smile, uncharacteristically shy, and a blush that went all the way down to the twins.

'_This is awkward_'

Fortunately for him, before the silence could get any more uncomfortable, her smile turned saucy, and her hand snaked around his arm. "Well, since you already know my name, why don't you tell me how is it that you came to arrive at Besaid yesterday? I was told it was quite an entrance."

Looking at their linked arms Cloud resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow, instead shrugged and went along, allowing the rest of his senses to awaken and find the source of food that Wakka had promised. "I couldn't say. One moment I was at the Lost Capital chasing a ghost from my past… and the next I'm here, well, at the beach, that is. I still can't make tails or ends of this whole situation."

Lulu stopped dead on her tracks, staring at him with eyes as wide as saucers "You were on Zanarkand!?"

Cloud shrugged, he didn't remember the name the Lost Capital had had before… perhaps it was this Zanarkand everybody seemed so hyped about.

"How is it?" she asked, awed "To stand in sacred ground?"

He looked down at the sand beneath his boots as he walked. "There isn't much to say. And really, there isn't _much_ there, other than ruins and bitter memories. I don't doubt it must have been a beautiful place in ancient times, but now… now, it is as I said: nothing but ruins with a creepy air around them."

She got lost in thought, as if trying to digest his words; thus Cloud opted to locate Wakka and seat by him.

"Lu?" Wakka asked and she looked up with a scowl, but the way he was looking at her made her understand something was amiss…. It was only then that she noticed she was still hanging from Cloud's arm.

The sorceress jumped and her arm slid away from the blond man's… from the smile Cloud gave her, she must have been blushing like a bloody virgin. "I'll go raise Yuna", with as much of pride as she could muster she stood and left the men alone.

"A ladies man, huh?" Wakka asked Cloud as soon as Lulu was out of earshot

"Not by choice." The swordsman shrugged "You feel for Lulu?"

Wakka grimaced. "And probably shouldn't. She was promised to my younger brother."

Cloud nodded "Chappu."

The red-head jumped in his seat, staring at him as if he had seen a ghost. "How-?"

"I heard you arguing yesterday."

"Holy damn, ya!" he face-palmed "sorry for that, didn't mean to keep you up."

"Nah, it's nothing. I have over-sensitive hearing." He finished his first bowl and smiled to the serving girl for giving him seconds "So what's the story?"

Wakka sighed… he was somehow sure that his chat with Lulu yesterday would be biting him in the ass sooner rather than later… and here it was already. "Chappu was angry at how we relied so much on summoners to give their lives away for us to live in peace. I told him it was the way life was, but he wouldn't listen. And before I knew it he had enlisted in the army as a regular.

"Again and again I tried talking him out of it, and when I couldn't I did the only sensible thing left… I bought him a proper weapon." The blitzball player shook his head "But we had grown apart by then and he refused my gift, instead accepting one of those blasted machinas of the _al-bhed_" there was so much hatred in those two words, that it was easy to be sure the man blamed them for whatever had happened to his brother "And then he was gone… not a month after Lulu received a letter from Chapu's Captain: my brother, her fiancée, died in battle when the machine he used exploded."

Cloud found his hand rising to Wakka's arm "I'm sorry man." Then, remembering the way Aeris had been stolen from him, he added "There's no way to prepare oneself for the death of someone that close. All I can say is that if you let go of your anger, someday in the future you might find yourself at peace."

Wakka grimaced "Thanks, ya?"

"Don't worry, ya?" they smiled sadly at each other and continued eating.

A good ten minutes, and 7 more bowls of food for Cloud –which left most people gaping at him– later, the two friends heard Lulu's harsh voice from behind; they shared a look of worry and then leaped to their feet and ran towards the sound.

And found the sorceress berating Yuna for bringing too much luggage.

"This is not a pleasure trip. We can't afford to be held back by you carrying that many things; you should know we _must_ travel light."

Anger flared in Cloud's chest… so not only was Yuna sacrificing herself for these people; she also _couldn't_ take anything on her journey? As a traveler, he understood the need to travel light… especially if you had a race against time before you. But if Yuna wasn't coming back, why the hell should she not be allowed some leisure? The quick look of sadness that crossed her cute face was all he needed to know this was true.

"Hey!" he glowered, walking to stand between the two women and glared at Lulu, the Mako inside his eyes lighting up "Ease off!"

Lulu was taken aback by his forcefulness, but even more so by the light inside his eyes which had turned deep green and, for a moment, she swore they were slitted like a cat's.

"So what if she wants to take some extra things to her trip?" he challenged her "For all that she risks in this pilgrimage, she might as well get some leeway!" He felt Yuna's eyes staring at his back, and he huffed, making sure he was calm when he turned to see her.

"I… I-it's not really necessary. They are just gifts… for the temples." Her small voice crushed his heart, he knew she would have left her things behind even if she abhorred to.

"No need to explain things to me" he smiled and winked at her "Any way, I don't seem to be able to think straight from Sin's Toxins." He closed the space between them and lifted her luggage with one hand as if it weighted no more than a sack of feathers, then with a grandiose smile and a bow, he offered her his arm "Ready to go, milady?"

The smile that lit her face and eyes was all the reward he needed to save the world.


	5. Chapter 4

— Chapter 4 —

The troupe set on their journey, with Wakka and Lulu on the front, discussing… whatever was that they were discussing, he wasn't really interested in it. Cloud and Yuna were in the middle of the group, with the blond man listening to Yuna explaining him about the pilgrimage and anything else she could think of that would made for a pleasant and _interesting_ conversation; a few feet behind them, Khimari closed the march.

The Blue Ronso was pondering the mystery that was the man the red-hair-man-Wakka had brought to the village the day before. He knew nothing about him, other that he had appeared on Besaid beach out of thin air and that he could make his Yuna smile like a thousand suns; he also knew, from his looks and the way he moved mostly, that he was an experienced warrior. How much? He didn't know. Would he be of use in the journey? Again he didn't know. They didn't need someone that wasn't able to fight… but even if he couldn't, he still could make Yuna smile, and that was enough to make him happy.

Khimari was torn. He didn't want to make Yuna's travel any harder, then again, he didn't really want her to make this trip. But his concerns were unimportant; all that mattered was that Yuna was safe and happy, and if that meant that he had to look after this spiky-head-man too, then so be it. Yuna deserved it.

His musings were interrupted, however, when red-hair-man-Wakka shouted and everyone looked up to see a Zu –a gigantic black bird– fly towards them in a steep dive.

Red-hair-man-Wakka tossed his white ball at the fiend but the bird avoided it, big-chest-bad-character-Lulu was busy chanting her magic, it would take a while longer until she could act.

The Ronso got his lance out, but the bird was flying too fast for him to catch up in the air, yet if he didn't do anything Yuna would-

"**BOLT**!" the spiky-head-light-eyed man shouted, and from his hand a thunderbolt erupted, hitting the fiend in the head with enough force to change its trajectory, and instead of flying into them, it crashed against the hill to their left. An instant later Khimari was on top of it, the tip of his spear embedded in the bird's heart; after a twist, the fiend dissolved into pireflies.

Khimari then turned to the blond man who nodded at him with a smile; in response he gave him a meaningful look.

Nothing else needed to be said.

They knew they could thrust each other in a fight.

For now that would suffice.

"How did you do that?"

Cloud chuckled and shook his head when Yuna found him at the front of the boat, which would take them to Kilika, she had been repeating that same question over and over again since he had refused to answer the first time… right after Khimari had finished the Zu.

She had asked how had he casted such a powerful magic without the chant.

He had thought that she would leave it alone once he managed to get on the boat and she was mobbed by the people of the island that had come to say goodbye to her.

Apparently he had been wrong.

This girl sure was stubborn.

"So, are you going to tell me?"

He turned to face her smiling face, crossed his arms over his chest and laid his back on the railing, the same easy smile that he had on his face since meeting her came back. Stubborn? Well he could play that card too. "No."

She puffed her cheeks like a little girl. "Fine! Have it your way then. But don't complain when you wake to a bucket full of cold water!" he shrugged "Ack! You're impossible!"

Did she know how cute she looked even when acting like a five year old? He doubted it; and still he had to rein in his hands to stop them from reaching for her.

Really, things were getting ridiculous.

_"Cloud…"_

He heard Aeris' voice floating on the wind and he turned to see the ocean once more, inhaling the aroma of seawater and clean air, enjoyed the peace it offered. Even if his memories were still tainted by nostalgia and regret, he wasn't so lost in his own pain. He had Tifa and the kids to thank for that; somehow in their cheery way of being, they had dragged him out of his misery… He could now even say that he missed them, especially the children.

Marlene's pouting face when she wanted something and wouldn't take a 'no' for an answer. Denzel's insistence that he train him in swordplay… even if he knew he would never be as strong as Cloud –simply because he wasn't Mako-enhanced– nothing would stop him from stealing his buster sword and use it as a weight to lift.

"_Someday I'll be strong as you!_" the swordsman couldn't help but smile and encourage him. Who knew, perhaps someday he really would, Mako or not. Who was he to stop him from dreaming?

He sighed.

When had he stopped dreaming? Was it when he couldn't make it into SOLDIER?

He didn't know. But then again, he was much too messed up back then to remember his hopes or dreams. How did he expect to dream when half the time he didn't even know who he was?

A small, fragile hand fell atop his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts to stare at it, and then lower still, to the preoccupied face of Yuna. He shifted his position to face her again, and her hand climbed from his arm to cup his cheek; he closed his eyes and leaned into her warm, tender hand, relishing the feeling of skin against skin… however small it was.

"What happened to make you so sad?" she asked, erasing a lonesome tear from his face, and diving right into the matter.

He placed his gloved hand atop hers before removing it from his face, not wanting her to feel just how much her touch affected him. "I was remembering my friends… and wondered if I'll ever see them again"

She didn't lose her smile… even if he could see in her eyes the doubt and pain his admission had caused "I'm sure you will. Perhaps you'll find someone in Kilika or Luca, Khimari and Wakka tell me there are thousands of people there, perhaps someone might know-"

Cloud's smile filled with pain "I don't think so." He looked her in the eyes, those beautiful bi-colored orbs that expressed much more than her words or face. "Unlike what Wakka seems to believe, I wasn't affected by Sin… I came from elsewhere, and I don't know if I'll ever be back there again… since I don't even know _how _or _why_ I came here in the first place." Now it was anger what fueled his words "For the love of Gaia! I don't even know _what_ I'm doing here. _Wherever here is!_"

She entwined her fingers with his, forcing him to look at her, even if it was simply out of shock. "It's alright. Everything _will_ be alright." That smile. Gods! Her smile was rapidly becoming the most beautiful sight in his eyes. "If you don't believe it will, then how are you going to make it happen?"

He knew for sure that he was smiling… it was nothing as bright or as illuminating as her smile, but still, he couldn't help it. It was almost as if his whole body and soul responded to hers.

"Thank you" he said, raising her hand to his lips once again.

He saw her blush, only then noticing just how close they stood… mere inches apart.

Yuna bit her lip and her eyes met his and held them with surprise, and some not yet defined feeling shining deep inside of them.

They moved closer. An hour passed… or perhaps only a moment, and with one last look into her beautiful bi-colored eyes, Cloud closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Light exploded behind her eyelids and she felt her whole body burn and react at the sensation of his lips on hers.

Heaven on earth.

Paradise.

The infinite in one moment.

Time and space didn't matter, nothing did. Nothing but the sheer bliss of his lips touching hers for a moment that lasted and eternity.

She felt perfection for the first time, right there, with his hand on her chin and his lips on hers.

And then a fire she didn't know existed was born in her, flowing through her entire body and soul, scorching her, and leaving her wanting more. So much more.

Her heart was now filled to the brim with the desire to survive and live against all odds; Sin didn't matter, it was simply milestone now, not an impenetrable barrier. And somehow, Yuna knew she would see the end of it.

If only so that she could live with this one man for-ever and a day.

Even if only for another kiss.

But then the moment passed.

His lips parted and his head lifted away from her.

And her world lost the color and warmth. Why had he stopped?

Her eyes opened a fraction and found him still there, still so close; staring at her, a tinge of color on his cheeks. His eyes, those shifting pools of water that held so many secrets, so much pain… but as he stared at her she could not see any of it in them, for all she saw was the same warmth and the same _feeling_ that was pounding so strongly in her heart.

She knew it then: that feeling she had for him was the same he had for her… and it was lo-

"SIN!"

Both of them jumped to the shout of the sailor that was pointing at something to their right.

There in the vastness of the sea rose a fin that was as big as a mountain.

Sin was about to attack Kilika.


	6. Chapter 5

— Chapter 5 —

His luck was monstrous, he knew. Just when he had finally touched heaven on Yuna's lips, a fiend appeared? Coincidence? He thought not.

Sin had to die…. _Soon_.

He ran to the center of the boat where Yuna's Guardians gathered, when he saw a sailor run for the ballista that was prepped on one of the corners of the boat… the arrow was tied to a cable.

"Wait! If you do that, we'll-" He moved to stop the man, but it was too late, the arrow was already flying.

"We have family in Kilika" The sailor explained, turning to Cloud even as another sailor aimed the other ballista "We need to protect them!"

The swordsman saw the fierce determination in the man's eyes and nodded.

He knew that feeling, protecting those you care for even against impossible odds.

Inside his head, he saw the smiling faces of Marlene and Denzel, followed by those of his friends: Tifa in Aeris' church, fighting Lotzz; Barret and AVALANCHE; then the small girl and Mr. Dolphin in Junon; Aeris… when she was running form the Turks, and again when he had come for her to the temple of the ancients, where Sephiroth…

He felt its pulse now. The anger, the pain... the _vengeance_; he knew them well and he welcomed them as old friends.

He was brought to this world for _something_, he might as well get to it.

Gauging the distance to his target, he got Vigilante and Vendetta out of their scabbards and locked them together before calling the Mako on his bloodstream forward. He felt it burn through his veins, multiplying his already formidable strength.

An aura of blue and white formed around him, and, had his mind not been troubled with other things, he would have heard those who saw him gasp.

His body prepped, he fell to a crouched position and gathered some energy on his feet before jumping.

And shot into the air like a bullet.

He would teach this _Sin_ some manners.

At the highest altitude, he moved his sword in a circle behind his back and ordered all that extra power into his blade to use _Braver_.

He wanted to hurt the son of a bitch.

As he fell, he finally brought his sword atop his head and plummeted forward, hitting Sin's rock-like skin with the strength of a cannon ball, the first Tsurugi cutting deep into the fiend's flesh before the energy stored within exploded, leaving a cut that was as long as a the boat he traveled in and almost a meter deep.

Sin cried in pain and dodged to a side, trying to throw him off, but Cloud held to his sword even as he withdrew merciless to fend off the monsters that were still erupting from Sin's uncut flesh.

The swordsman was astonished at the sheer amount of fiends surrounding him. Still he fought them to a standstill, until he was forced to retrieve his weapon and flee, jumping as he did before, only that now he had to use the corpses of the monsters floating on the sea as step stones to reach the boat that had deviated well away from Sin once the wires had been cut.

Cloud landed with a crouch on the top deck and turned to see Sin's fin diving back into the abysm under the sea. He sighed, it would take much more than that to defeat it, but apparently he had been able to make it flee… for now. Sheathing back his weapons, he finally noticed the people that hung breathlessly around him.

Everyone in the boat was staring at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

Blinking in surprise, he couldn't help but scratch the back of his head and grimace under their scrutiny.

Yuffie kept rambling about what a show-off he was… maybe, just maybe, she had been right at that.

"Erm- Everyone alright?" he asked, and it was like a detonator… suddenly there were hoards of people congratulating him, asking him for his name, where he came from, where had he learned to fight like he did. Was he a guardian? Did he know Auron –whoever that was? The sailor thanked him for saving their families, and he was invited to enough dinners that, should he had accepted, he would be round as a ball by the end of the month.

When almost everybody retreated, telling and re-telling about what they had seen, Cloud's eyes fell finally on the tiny form of Yuna, who was staring at him and biting her lip, he was sure he was going to be hounded for even more answer now… not that he cared if even one of them held the promise of another kiss.

"Man, you were amazing! Ya?" Wakka spooked the rest of the people that still hung about him with his shouted comment, pushing himself forward; he then dragged Cloud into an armlock, from which he escaped nimbly. "You never mentioned you fought so well, why?"

Cloud shrugged "Never been one to brag, ya?"

The group dissolved in giggles and chuckles at Wakka's frown, even Khimari, whose laugh was as grave as an earthquake… and equally short.

Yuna's eyes moved to Lulu, with whom she had a silent conversation before she took a step forward and bowed deeply towards him. "Cloud, I- _we_ wanted to know if you would consider being my Guardian." She looked up for a tiny fraction to stare at his eyes, and then resumed her bow "We'd be honored if you accepted. Please, Cloud-"

The swordsman shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her upright. "You don't need to do that" then he smiled and added "Yes, I will be your Guardian, if that is what you want." He knew by looking into her eyes that there was much more she wanted to do and say, but apparently not in front of the others.

She went to bow again to thank him, only to have him stop her yet again "now now, we wouldn't like our summoner to get her back hurt for so much bowing; I'm sure Lulu would have my head if I delayed you any longer."

New laughs; followed by a slap on his arm from a certain black-clad woman.

After a while, however, even they began to drift away; until it was only Yuna and himself left on the front of the ship.

Cloud lifted his hand to brush her hair back, but she had other plans; throwing herself into his arms instead, where she lay trembling like a leaf in the wind.

He embraced her, much too confused to figure just what was going on.

"Thank Yevon you're alright!" She murmured against his chest, her tear-stricken voice made his heart ache "I- for a moment there I thought-"

"Shh", even in the present situation, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. He hadn't even spent a day on this new world and he had already made a girl cry… Tifa and Yuffie would have his head for it, if they ever knew. "It's alright."

"_No, it is not_!" her tiny fist hit his chest "I don't know why but I care about you… I don't understand these feelings at all! Ever since meeting you I have been able to think of little else." She looked up at him, all teary eyed "I don't know why I care so much, but I do! And I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt or-"

He knew it was cheating, but he needed to silence her fears in order to help her see… and what better way to achieve this than to lay his lips on hers.

Even if he lost himself in the kiss.

Even if he very nearly forgot why he'd done it.

The attraction he felt for her could very well become dangerous… but he also knew enough pain in his life to relish the feeling in his heart for her.

It might very well be worth his life.

A price he felt he would gladly pay… a notion that surprised even him.

He released her lips then; placing his forehead against hers with their noses touching, not wanting to be apart from her. "Yuna." Cloud pronounced her name, calling her back to him and the present. "Thank you."

The summoner finally opened her eyes, and stared right into his. Her pupils were huge. "Why?" she murmured when she finally found her voice.

"For worrying about me" he smiled at her glare "It is truly endearing."

Blushing, but unwilling to acknowledge it, she puffed her cheeks and swatted his arm. "You better not make me worry again, mister. I can be very mean when mad."

Cloud moved his arms around her waist and smiled "I cannot imagine you being anything but cute and gorgeous, even if mad."

This time her blush reached her feet.

"Now you're just saying things."

"That, I am not."

Her eyes met his yet again, and she shook her head "You are _impossible_", but even as she said that, she tiptoed to seal his lips with hers again.


End file.
